Young People’s Experiences in Becoming a Farmer: A Case Study of Bangladesh

Young People’s Experiences in Becoming a Farmer: A Case Study of Bangladesh

Author:

Tarek, Gazi Mahmudul Alam

Department:

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Program:

Public Issues Anthropology

Advisor:

Srinivasan, Sharada

Abstract:

This research focuses on the experiences of young men and women who are or would like to become farmers in Bangladesh. Due to challenges and obstacles in farming, young men and women are reluctant to enter farming, which raises the question about the future of agriculture and the rural economy. At the same time, despite the challenges, many young people are trying to make a living by farming through conventional and innovative means. Using a youth perspective, I undertook fieldwork in the summer of 2018, in Subarno Char Upazila (sub-district), Bangladesh. The research offers three main findings: one, although rice is the staple crop and the most widely cultivated crop in Bangladesh, young people are more interested in growing profit-oriented crops like lentils, nuts, and watermelon. This can be seen as a strategy to avoid the monopolized rice distribution channel where making a profit is difficult. Second, the main challenges faced by Bangladeshi young farmers are related to landlessness, lack of knowledge, unpredictable weather and their reliance on informal financing and sharecropping. Third, young women face additional challenges to establish themselves as farmers because farming is seen as men’s domain and society is not ready to recognise women’s contributions in farming. The research is relevant for policy and practice for the growth of the agriculture sector, and the reduction of youth unemployment and rural poverty in Bangladesh.